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Updated: June 7, 2025
That his visitor was in sore distress admitted of no doubt, and the yeoman's natural humanity assisted the other's sad importunity and gentle voice. Swetman took him in, not without a suspicion that this man represented in some way Monmouth's cause, to which he was not unfriendly in his secret heart.
Among the killed in opposing the recent rising had been a younger brother of the lord of the manor, who lived at King's-Hintock Court hard by. Seeing the latter ride past in mourning clothes next day, Swetman ventured to condole with him. 'He'd no business there! answered the other. His words and manner showed the bitterness that was mingled with his regret. 'But say no more of him.
When the rumour spread abroad in the West that the man beheaded in the Tower was not indeed the Duke, but one of his officers taken after the battle, and that the Duke had been assisted to escape out of the country, Swetman found in it an explanation of what so deeply mystified him.
On the blade was inscribed the words 'ANDREA FERARA, and among the many fine chasings were a rose and crown, the plume of the Prince of Wales, and two portraits; portraits of a man and a woman, the man's having the face of the first King Charles, and the woman's, apparently, that of his Queen. Swetman, much awed and surprised, returned the articles to the closet, and went downstairs pondering.
In the evening, however, Swetman came out from his gate, and, harkening in silence to these tidings and more, wondered what might be in store for him for his last night's work. He returned homeward by a path across the mead that skirted his own orchard. Passing here, he heard the voice of his daughter Leonard expostulating inside the hedge, her words being: 'Don't ye, sir; don't!
'There has been a battle, says Swetman, on coming indoors after these tidings, and looking earnestly at the stranger. 'May the victory be to the rightful in the end, whatever the issue now, says the other, with a sorrowful sigh. 'Dost really know nothing about it? said Christopher. 'I could have sworn you was one from that very battle!
'Well, 'tis over for him and over for my brother. But not for the rest. There'll be searchings and siftings down here anon; and happy is the man who has had nothing to do with this matter! Now Swetman had hardly heard the latter words, so much was he confounded by the strangeness of the tidings that the Duke had come to his death on the previous Tuesday.
They went upstairs to where the garments and sword lay hidden, till the departing one said that on further thought he would ask another favour: that he should be allowed to retain the clothes he wore, and that his host would keep the others and the sword till he, the speaker, should come or send for them. 'As you will, said Swetman.
Put away these things again and take especial charge of the sword. It belonged to my father's father and I value it much. But something more common becomes me now. Saying which, he took, as he went downstairs, one of the ash sticks used by Swetman himself for walking with.
The personage turned his large haggard eyes upon the bed where Swetman lay, and then withdrew from their hiding the articles that belonged to him, again giving a hard gaze at Christopher as he went noiselessly out of the chamber with his properties on his arm.
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